Xolo Maridueña Reveals the Bat-Phone Moment That Brought Blue Beetle Back Into the Dcu

For a superhero introduced under the previous DC regime, Jaime Reyes could easily have become a casualty of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s franchise reboot. Plenty of characters from the pre-Gunn era have quietly disappeared as DC Studios reshapes its cinematic universe from the ground up, leaving fans to wonder who might get left behind entirely.

Xolo Maridueña, who introduced audiences to Blue Beetle in the character’s 2023 standalone film, admits he genuinely wasn’t sure his future in the role was secure. Despite Gunn and Safran publicly committing to Maridueña continuing as Jaime Reyes shortly after that film’s release, the actor said there’s simply no guarantee in this industry, no matter what promises get made early on.

That uncertainty came to an abrupt end during a trip to Japan, when Maridueña found himself on the receiving end of a call that changed everything. Speaking on the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Practical Magic 2,’ the actor described the moment vividly, comparing his phone lighting up with Gunn’s name to something straight out of Gotham City. “I was in Japan with my friends; nobody knew anything,” Maridueña recalled during the conversation with Variety.

“And I just see, like the Bat-phone, my phone rings [and it’s] James Gunn. All my friends look at me, and I had to leave the room. I came back, and I was like, ‘Off the record, don’t tell anyone, but we’re coming back.'”

That call confirmed Maridueña would be reprising Blue Beetle in ‘Superman: Man of Tomorrow,’ the highly anticipated sequel to this year’s ‘Superman’ reboot. The casting news fulfills the promise Gunn and Safran made years earlier, and it keeps Jaime Reyes firmly planted as one of the DCU’s foundational characters moving forward.

Maridueña’s return carries real significance for the direction of Gunn’s rebooted universe. Gunn has previously stated on Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast that Blue Beetle holds the distinction of being the first character of the new DCU, even though ‘Superman’ technically became the first fully realized film in the franchise.

Beyond the behind-the-scenes symbolism, Jaime Reyes also holds a broader cultural significance for DC as a whole. His debut in 2023 marked the first time a Latino superhero had ever headlined a standalone DC film, a milestone that resonated deeply with audiences and helped cement Maridueña’s connection to the role.

‘Man of Tomorrow’ reunites David Corenswet as Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, with the pair reportedly forced into an uneasy alliance against the film’s central threat, the intergalactic villain Brainiac, played by Lars Eidinger. The ensemble cast also includes Milly Alcock, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Aaron Pierre, and Nathan Fillion rounding out the sequel’s expanding roster.

For Maridueña, stepping back into the biomechanical suit represents more than just a career milestone. He previously described feeling genuinely fulfilled by the opportunity to continue Jaime’s story, regardless of how many further installments the character eventually gets.

With ‘Man of Tomorrow’ currently in production and slated to arrive in theaters, fans finally have confirmation of what’s been rumored since Blue Beetle’s introduction three years ago. Whatever direction Gunn takes the character in next, Maridueña’s own reaction to that phone call in Japan suggests he’s just as excited as the fans are to see where Jaime Reyes goes from here.

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